Most Tesla owners charge the vast majority of their kilometres at home. You plug in when you get home and wake up to a full battery, with no detours to a charger. Here we go through the three ways to charge at home and help you choose.
Your options
| Solution | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Regular wall outlet | Slow | Backup or very few km/day |
| Mobile Connector | Low-medium | Flexible, if you have a suitable outlet |
| Wallbox / Tesla Wall Connector | Fast | Daily charging at home |
Wall Connector vs. wallbox
A fixed wallbox is the recommended solution for daily home charging. The Tesla Wall Connector is Tesla's own, but there are also many third-party wallboxes that work fine with a Tesla via the Type 2 connector. The difference is in price, design, app features and whether they support smart/load-balanced charging.
Installation
A wallbox must be installed by a certified electrician. The speed depends on whether your installation is single- or three-phase: a three-phase solution charges markedly faster. Have the electrician assess your panel and possibly install load balancing so the wallbox doesn't overload your installation.
Charge smart - and cheap
In the Tesla app you can schedule charging for specific times (e.g. the night tariff) and set a charge limit. Day to day you rarely need to charge to 100%, it's gentler on the battery to stay in a middle range and only charge fully before longer trips. Overnight home charging is typically the cheapest electricity you can get, see more in Tesla total cost of ownership.
Home charging and Supercharging
Home charging covers everyday driving; Supercharger and public charging cover the longer trips. If you buy a new Model 3 or Model Y, the referral program typically adds free Supercharging on top, so you start even cheaper.